Lexical Definition

‎πονηρός‎ ponērós (pon-ay-ros') evil/bad ^G:A
from a derivative of ‎πόνος‎

bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked(-ness).

• hurtful, i.e. evil (properly, in effect or influence, and thus differing from ‎κακός‎, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from ‎σαπρός‎, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue)
• figuratively, calamitous
• also (passively) ill, i.e. diseased
• but especially (morally) culpable, i.e. derelict, vicious, facinorous
• neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt
• masculine (singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners

Abbott-Smith

πονηρός, -ά, -όν (< πονέω, to toil), [in LXX chiefly for רַע;]
1.
(a) of persons, oppressed by toils (Hes.);
(b) of things, toilsome, painful (καιρός, Si 51:12): Eph 5:16 6:13, Re 16:2.
2. bad, worthless;
(a) in physical sense: καρπός, Mt 7:17, 18;
(b) in ethical sense, bad, evil, wicked;
(α) of persons: Mt 7:11 12:34, 35 18:32 25:26, Lk 6:45 11:13 19:22, Ac 17:5, II Th 3:2, II Ti 3:13; γενεά, Mt 12:39, 45 16:4, Lk 11:29; πνεῦμια, Mt 12:45, Lk 7:21 8:2 11:26, Ac 19:12, 13, 15, 16; as subst., οἱ π., opp. to δίκαιοι, Mt 13:49; to ἀγαθοί, Mt 5:45 22:10; οἱ ἀχάριστοι καὶ π., Lk 6:35; sing., ὁ π., Mt 5:39, I Co 5:13; id. esp. of Satan, the evil one, Mt 5:37 6:13 (v. Lft., Notes, 125 ff.; but cf. McN, in l.) 13:19, 38, Lk 11:4 (WH, R, om.), Jo 17:15, Eph 6:16, II Th 3:3 (Lft., Notes, 125 ff.), I Jo 2:13, 14 3:12 5:18, 19;
(β) of things: Mt 5:11 12:35 15:19, Lk 6:22, 45, Jo 3:19 7:7, Ac 18:14 25:18, Ga 1:4, Col 1:21, I Ti 6:4, II Ti 4:18, He 3:12 10:22, Ja 2:4 4:16, I Jo 3:12, II Jo 11, III Jo 10; ὀφθαλμός (q.v.), Mt 6:23 20:15, Mk 7:22, Lk 11:34; as subst., neut., τὸ π., Ac 28:21, I Th 5:22; opp. to ἀγαθόν, Lk 6:45, Ro 12:9; pl., Mt 9:4, Mk 7:23, Lk 3:19.†
SYN.: v.s. ἄθεσμος.

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

πονηρός, ά, όν,

in physical sense, oppressed by toils, πονηρότατος καὶ ἄριστος, of Heracles, [Refs 8th c.BC+]

__2 of things, toilsome, painful, grievous, ἔργα [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II in bad case, in sorry plight, useless, good-for-nothing, σύμμαχοι[Refs 5th c.BC+]; κύων, ἱππάριον, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δίαιτα, τροφή, σιτία, injurious, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. σῶμα, opposed to χρηστόν, [Refs]; π. σκώμματα sorry jests, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. πράγματα a bad state of things, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. ἀρχὴ τῆς παιδείας a bad beginning, [Refs 5th c.BC+] adverb, -ρῶς ἔχειν to be in bad case, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. διακεῖσθαι, διατεθῆναι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III in moral sense, worthless, knavish, φήμη, βίος, ζόη, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πονηρὸς.. κἀκ πονηρῶν rogue and son of rogues, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὦ πόνῳ πονηρέ in a comic jingle, [Refs]; π. πόρρω τέχνης past master in knavery, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. [ῥῆμα] malicious, [NT]wickednesses, [LXX+5th c.BC+]; δόλῳ πονηρῷ, Latin dolo malo, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ὁ π. the evil one, [NT+4th c.AD+]
__III.2 base, cowardly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. χρώματα, i.e. the coward's hue, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.3 with a political connotation, of the baser sort, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to καλοὶ κἀγαθοί, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —On the variation of accent, πονηρός and πόνηρος, see at {μοχθηρός} near the end

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Matt.5.11 ☩ LXX.Deut.17.2 ☩ Matt.13.19}